Our Eyes Are Projectors

“Our eyes are not only viewers, they’re projectors.” -Jim Carrey

I love Jim and have always been a fan of him since I was a kid.

His statement is so true and anyone that’s accomplish a goal, no matter how big or small, can confirm this.

Why?

Because, it took some level of focus and visualization to make that goal manifest into your reality.

It can be clearer for making dreams come true, or things beyond what we ever fathomed becoming our reality, as I have during my BMX career.

All I did was think about BMX, dream BMX, watch BMX contest and videos, talk about BMX, and TAKE ACTION on my BMX bike.

Not only was the emotional and psychological aspect of manifesting a goal or dream there, I also took non stop action every single day possible.

We can create the realities we want or don’t want. It all comes back to what we see in our minds.

All the greatest in sports focus on visualizing their actions, especially when it comes time to compete and test all the “homework” done at home when no ones watching.

Think back to any “good” or “bad” experience in your life and really audit your mindset, actions, beliefs, words spoken, and how it resulted. Was it aligned with those mindsets, actions, beliefs, and words spoken, even if it wasn’t the desired result?

If it’s a yes, then think of how you could spin it for what you want.

My biggest problem along my journey with manifestation the life I desired was the patience piece and I find that’s way more prevalent in today’s society with everything being so instant.

It won’t happen over night but you’ll be surprised how quickly changes are made in your life when you audit and change your mindset, words, and actions.

Josh P. 💚🧠✌️

Photo by @jciake

Slap Of Reality

Today wasn’t easy. Not gonna lie.

My mom & I drove to the police station that held my younger brother, Danny, belongings for nearly 10 months after he took his life a week after turning 26 last June.

Upon opening the container of his personal belongings, I was greeted with his phone covered in his own blood.

Although I thought I was prepared for this moment, I wasn’t. It was another slap in the face of reality that my little brother is no longer here with my mom & I. What’s worse, I can’t do anything about it. Of all the years growing up protecting my best friend, I wasn’t able to this time.

I have a ton of thoughts of regret for being so hard on him over the years as others just enabled him & allowed him to play small in life. I battle against those thoughts with my belief that I was doing what I felt was right in challenging him to live up to his potential from a place of sincere love.

I often get asked “how are you always so positive”?

I’m not. But, I also know that the mind is like any muscle in the body & daily practice, exercise, & recovery are required to ensure we have a chance at becoming what we desire.

I’m human & experience all the ups & downs that we all face but my perspective to be alive and have a chance at changing my tomorrow & sharing it with all of you is what keeps me moving forward.

The people I choose to surround myself with plays a huge role in giving me the courage to be vulnerable, not give up or feel sorry for myself, & allow me to be who I set out to become.

These people in the photos have become brothers from other mothers to me & I’m incredibly grateful for all of them & Jackie

Danny & I both cherished our friends equally as much as we cherish each other. We don’t believe family is solely blood related.

I want you to share your love for those you care about & know your life is what you choose to make it.

Inside & out.

Always strive for happiness but don’t ever think you have to be happy every day or that your broken.

Josh P. 💚🧠✌️

Gamma Knife & Keto

I was supposed to post this last week but some reality shifting events have taken place and I’ve been feeling paralyzed in how to move forward with anything in life.

My WHY, or my purpose, in life is really clear to me and now it’s magnified and has helped me cope with loosing my younger brother last week and not letting him down.

This post is to share a quick look into my journey with Gamma Knife radio treatment to treat the first 2 tumors I live with today and how 2 additional tumors in my skull led me to KETO.

WHY?

I had to research for a while to find an alternative to the path I was on and create a new outcome for my life. I’m glad I fought for what my intuition was telling me because I found Gamma Knife and a way of eating that’s changed my life in so many ways. It’s what I’m passionate about today and I plan to let the world know what I know.

It also brings to mind that no matter what you’re going through, you’re not alone. Don’t feel embarrassed, angry, alone, or afraid to reach out to chat with someone about what you’re dealing with.

Whether it’s physical or mental, I’ll always do my best to support others as much as I can and there’s plenty more people to talk with. Don’t ever feel so isolated that you think you’re alone and can’t gain support from family, friends, or even a stranger like myself. 💚✌️

-Josh P.

Resistance

It’s the vision that allows us to keep moving forward in life even when we don’t feel like it.

Resistance doesn’t feel good but that usually means one of two things: either you’re on the path to a new outcome and resistance is appearing because of new actions, which triggers the ego to go into “protection” mode from a unknown outcome. Or, it’s because you’re doing something you don’t believe in to fulfill someone else’s vision.

Resistance is where people usually get stuck. They either give up when they feel any resistance because they fear failure or their ego is so strong in protecting them from the unknown that they settle for suffering in the moment because it’s familiar, even though it’s undesirable.

Are you taking action to get one step closer to living your vision, and what resistance do you see show up regularly? 💚✌️

-Josh P.

📸 @jciake

Keto Friendly Beverage

16 months ago I was diagnosed with 2 new brain tumors, totally 4 in my skull.

That’s when I took the “ketogenic diet” serious and started studying and applying it 100% in my life.

Not just the foods but the lifestyle around the keto benefits, which includes; proper training (no chronic high heart rate training), mindfulness practices (meditation, stress management, doing what I love every day), optimizing my sleep by getting 6-8 hours a night, eating specific foods at specific times, not having specific stimulating lights from screens (TV, iPhones, etc.) in my life at specific times before bed, and learning new things to keep my brain adapting and promoting neuroneogenisus (growth of new neurons and networks).

That said, @kevitadrinks makes an amazing low-calorie and low-carbohydrate beverage full of probiotics and flavor. It’s what helped me kick my sugar/soda habit that I had years ago and keeps cravings at bay. A great choice for those looking for a tasty beverage while watching their carb intake for utilizing keto or living in the keto-adapted lifestyle.

The ketogenic diet is not just a fad or get quick results one and done type of plan. It’s a lifestyle shift that takes time to adapt to properly and takes commitment but should never entail suffering of any kind and isn’t always a long-term plan, more like a tool to utilize when necessary. It doesn’t happen over night and can take 21-days to 6-weeks for people to adapt properly depending on their past history and genetics. The goal is not to be in ketosis. The goal is to become fat & keto-adapted and use ketosis as an annual clean up and day to day tool that can be easily implemented.

This ensures that your body and brain knows what to do with all the ketones it’s producing, burns stored body fat, no longer depends on a constant supply of carbohydrates/glucose, and helps fight disease, slow the aging process down, supports the brain, improves sleep quality, reduces inflammation, and so much more.

It really comes down to hormone control from the choices we have every day, which is what we choose to put in our mouths. 💚✌️

-Josh P.

Adversity Cultivates Success

I was 21 when I was told I would never ride my bike again.

That’s the day I was also told I would die unless my head was cut open to remove a massive tumor taking up half my brain. Even then, I still had a chance I may not make it out alive.

This was one of the many challenges I have faced in life and not the first circumstance that put the fragility of my life into perspective.

I later learned, life is full of gifts in the form of adversity and it’s all a matter of perspective. I have overcome injuries, financial instability, abuse, cancer, heartbreak, living in my car, on couches, or in hallway closets, and even depression.

What most of us don’t seem to see, is that we all have choices. We have a choice to believe the things we’re told or to dismiss them as noise. We have a choice to see all of the abundance and success within our lives, or we can choose to see the failures, set-backs, and the things we lack in our lives.

We have a choice to give up or fight back to beat the odds. Prove people wrong and prove our support right. Some choices are hard to make. But those are the ones that mold who we are today. It’s these choices that make us stronger…and wiser…and allow us to grow. I believe it’s not the cards we are dealt, rather it’s how we CHOOSE to play those cards that determine the outcome of our lives.

Sometimes we fall down in life. It’s these falls that are some of the most important learning opportunities for us. Not failures; learning lessons on the path to success.

But, it’s how we choice get back up that defines us and determines our future. Not our past times when we fell down or failed. We’re defined by how we CHOOSE to move forward in life.

Adversity cultivates success and life is all about choices.

So choose wisely. 💚✌️

Be Proactive, Not ReActive

Starting the week off strong with a PR in hang power cleans (70kilo) and some @go_exxentric squats and 3 second decent bench press.

Be proactive rather than reactive! Take care of your body and mind as they work in a uniform reactive relationship to one another. Be pro-active when it comes to your health and goals with your life.

Don’ settle for the status quo and then react to negatives. Do what you can to prevent a negative from occurring in the first place. It’s never too early to take action towards your goals and your health.

I learned this the hard way. I blew out my knee in 2013 and decided to have it fixed in 2015. 2015 was the year I started to take this fitness bing serious in an effort to strengthen and protect my legs. The more I practiced, the more I experienced benefits in the mind and body. 💚✌️

A Clear Vision

I believe a clear vision is what creates the goal, which creates the motivation and the taking of action.

Our reality is a manifestation of our actions we choose to participate in on a daily basis.

The vision is what motivates us to take action every day and is what keeps us going no matter what challenge arise and doesn’t let us give up. 💚✌️

What’s your vision for your life? Are you making choices to take action that leads you closer to your vision?

-Josh P.

Most Protein Bars Are Candy

Marketing is a tricky obstacle for health enthusiasts.

Labels and words we’ve never heard of on ingredients lists trick us into think protein bars are “healthy” when they’re no different than a candy bar for the most part.

Containing glutenous grains, added sugars, poor quality protein, gmo ingredients, artificial flavoring, colors, and sweeteners, and other junk don’t qualify a food as “healthy”.

Thanks to doctors like Dr. David Perlmutter and other health advocates, the information on why these ingredients are detrimental to our health is abundant and clear.

Tag your favorite protein bar and share why it’s your favorite.

My favorites are @primalkitchenfoods and @gardenoflife. Loaded with quality protein, prebiotic fiber, and healthy fats. 💚✌️

-Josh P.

My Mission

My mission is to create support for those in need, direct patient funding for brain tumor patients, empower people to live as healthy as possible, and create faith, inspiration, and partnerships through sport, education, and story telling. 💚✌️

What’s your mission in life?

-Josh P.